Food

Topic: Classes of food

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to classify foods as either plant or animal based on their characteristics.

Materials

• Examples of plant and animal foods (e.g. banana, apple, steak, chicken drumstick, broccoli, lentils)
• Chart paper and markers

Warm-up

• Ask students if they can think of any examples of plant or animal foods. Write their responses on the board.
• Ask students to explain why they think a particular food is plant or animal based on its appearance, texture or taste.

Direct Instruction

• Explain to students that there are two main categories of food: plant and animal.
• Show students pictures or real examples of plant and animal foods and have them sort them into their respective groups.
• Explain that plant foods are made up of mostly carbohydrates (also known as carbs), which are a type of nutrient that provides energy for the body. Plant foods also contain protein, which is important for growth and repair, and some also contain fat, which helps to keep the body warm and provides energy.
• Explain that animal foods are made up of mostly protein, which is essential for growth and repair, and some also contain fat and smaller amounts of carbohydrate.
• Ask students to name some examples of plant and animal foods. Write their responses on the board.

Guided Practice

• Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of real or pictured examples of plant and animal foods.
• Have students sort the foods into the appropriate groups and explain their reasoning behind each sorting choice.
• As a class, discuss the similarities and differences between the two types of food.

Independent Practice

• Give each student a small scrap of paper and a pen.
• Have students write down one example of a plant food and one example of an animal food.
• Then have them exchange papers with a partner and discuss their choices.
• Once students have completed this activity with all their partners, have them share their answers with the class and explain their reasoning behind their choices.

Closure

• Review the categories of plant and animal foods again, this time giving some examples of each.
• Ask students to share any new insights they gained from discussing plant and animal foods with their partners.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity and provide feedback on their presentations.
• Collect and evaluate their food labels for accuracy and completeness.